Chapter 79
When Flora opened her eyes, she was greeted by a ceiling that was unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar.
“Wow… I can see again.”
Her eyes had been swollen from the illness, making it hard to focus, but it seemed time really was a healer—her body had improved considerably.
“I really died and came back to life.”
She had thought her first little escapade had ended successfully, but perhaps the effect of the cold wind had been worse than she expected.
Surely, no one should be so confident of success or failure before it’s truly over.
“Come to think of it, it’s strange that I wasn’t sick sooner.”
Unlike her sharp mind, Flora’s body belonged to a five-year-old child.
To try to run a business, fly on Janet’s back at midnight chasing Count Vitora in the cold wind, it was surprising she hadn’t caught a cold sooner.
“Why is my body Lucifer’s and yet in this state?”
The doctor’s words during her illness hit her deep.
〈Young master never caught a cold as a child…〉
Atanas muttered beside her, which only made it worse.
〈I, too, never caught a cold.〉
〈Then Miss must be an unusual case. Flora is sick… when she should be as tough as a corpse if not for her resilience.〉
〈Is Flora really that weak? What if she keeps getting this sick?〉
The sincere worry in his question shocked Atanas when the doctor said there was nothing he could do.
〈Wait a moment, both of you. It’s normal for children to get sick as they grow. Saying this may seem forward, but the young master and the duke are special.〉
If Elena hadn’t stepped in, frustrated at hearing such things, she might have been ill from worry even longer.
“Well… I feel a bit better now.”
During her sickness, her swollen eyes made opening them difficult, and a blocked nose made breathing hard.
Her throat felt like it had been dusted with iron filings, and crying in pain only made her voice stuffy.
When she eventually sobbed uncontrollably, it hurt as if someone were hammering her head, leaving no comfort in tears.
It was a proper, severe cold.
As Mors, she had never known pain. She had never felt such suffering, never lost consciousness from illness.
But the human body, especially that of a child, was far too fragile.
“Lucifer’s blood isn’t much help, it seems.”
Perhaps it was because more of her biological mother’s blood ran in Flora than Lucifer’s.
Still, after a long bout of illness, her body became light enough to move.
“Our lady, your fever has finally gone down.”
The hand brushing back her sweat-soaked hair was filled with genuine tenderness.
Accepting the affection without resistance, Flora asked,
“How long have I been lying here?”
“You’ve been sick for a whole week.”
“What? A week?”
Flora’s startled shout turned into a dry cough, and Elena hurriedly gave her some warm water.
Drinking it like life itself, memories of what she’d forgotten during her illness came flooding back.
“Count Vitora! Deal with the Marquess Slord! My Shalia business! The mercenary guild!”
She was ruined, utterly ruined.
Flora tried to get up, but always-kind Elena was strict and cautious when it came to health.
“No, Miss. If you catch a cold again after being exposed to the wind, you’ll get seriously ill again.”
“But—!”
“You don’t want to be sick again, right? Then stay in bed quietly until the end of today. Understood?”
“Hiiing.”
“Even crying isn’t allowed.”
If Daphina had been there, she might have been able to force herself, but defeating Elena was nearly impossible.
“Where’s Oppa? I woke up, so why aren’t you here?”
“The duke will come as soon as his meeting is over. Let’s wait a little while and have some soup.”
What meeting? What about the business? The contest? The Marquess Slord?
There were countless questions, but Flora could not drop her childlike act in front of the clueless Elena.
She swallowed her curiosity with tears and had no choice but to wait for someone to bring her news.
The first person to visit after hearing Flora had awakened was Benio.
“Oppaa.”
Excited, she reached out, but Benio placed his hand on her forehead instead, checking for fever.
“Definitely. You’re not hot anymore.”
He exhaled in relief and sat beside her, looking rather sullen.
Fidgeting with his hands in silence, he looked almost menacing.
“Wait… I’m the one who was sick, why do you look upset?”
His restraint reminded her of the first day she had met him.
“Are you mad at me?”
She had merely gotten a little sick while working hard to bring wealth and peace to Lucifer.
If they, who daily bled and bruised themselves, were upset over a cold, she would never forgive them.
Flora glared at Benio with fiery eyes.
“I wasn’t even sick for your sake.”
“…What?”
“You didn’t even notice I was sick while holding me, just joking around.”
Her anger wasn’t directed at Benio but at herself, apparently.
“I’m sorry… if I had known earlier…”
“I didn’t even know I was sick.”
“You’re still young…”
Flora frowned sharply at his timid voice. Seeing the small wrinkles on his forehead, Benio hurriedly smoothed them with his hands.
Flora shook her head and, placing her hand on her chest, shouted,
“I’m more mature mentally!”
“…”
“Do you think I’m really a baby?”
“You are a baby…”
Benio, unable to lie, started to speak honestly but stopped, being glared at by Flora’s sharp eyes.
“Anyway, it’s all your fault.”
Flora crossed her arms and glared at him again.
“From now on, we follow what Flora says, okay?”
“Follow?”
“Flora’s sickness isn’t Oppa’s fault! It’s the wind’s fault!”
Technically, her late-night outing was her fault, but Flora declared it boldly.
“Follow!”
“Flora’s sickness isn’t my fault. It’s the wind’s fault.”
“Then Oppa must not apologize to Flora!”
“Exactly. I shall not apologize to Flora.”
“If you apologize for something you didn’t do, you won’t see Flora for a whole day!”
“What? That’s too much!”
Benio, used to going along with her antics, stopped nervously, but Flora remained firm.
“You won’t see me for two days!”
“Why is it increasing…?”
“You won’t see me for three days!”
“If I apologize even though it’s not my fault, I won’t see Flora for three days….”
“Good!”
Finally satisfied, she nodded. Elena, watching the warm sibling moment, brought a cup of warm milk.
“You two really are a close sibling pair.”
Handing the cup to Benio, she smiled warmly.
“Oh, I’m fine.”
“Miss doesn’t like drinking alone, so drink together. Warm milk tastes richer and better.”
“I should be done with milk at my age.”
“You’re not even an adult yet. If you want to grow taller than the duke, you have to take care of yourself.”
Elena stepped aside, letting the siblings have some private time. Benio awkwardly held the mug.
“Cheers, cheers.”
Flora raised her mug, and Benio, staring blankly at the white milk, clinked his cup with hers.
Watching her sip, he carefully drank his own.
“Good?”
“…Yeah. Tasty.”
Foam covering her mouth made Flora look even more mischievous than usual.
“You don’t usually drink milk? How long has it been?”
“It’s been about five years since my mother passed away.”
The word ‘mother’ came out in a lonely voice—a word rarely used around Lucifer.
“Mother?”
“Yes, she would warm milk and bring it every night.”
Benio’s face softened with a nostalgic expression. The faint smile on his usually stern face was rare but pleasant.
“Yes, she’s still young enough to miss her mother.”
Though he acted maturely, Benio’s youthful side suited him.
“I wonder what kind of person Duchess Lucifer was.”
The question rose to her throat, but Flora suppressed it, drinking the milk instead.
A quiet milk time followed, and Flora didn’t ask about Duchess Lucifer until her stomach was comfortably full.
